7 replies to this topic

[Bill1969]

I took this shot today at Sierra Azul Preserve in Santa Clara County, CA, looks like a vague juvi sparrow, hard to know which one though..

http://bilalphotos.com/_MG_0577.JPG

http://bilalphotos.com/_MG_0595.JPG

[creeker]

Dark-eyed Junco juvie for me.

[Bill1969]

funny.. every weird small bird is juvi junco..

[creeker]

funny.. every weird small bird is juvi junco..

Yep. Whenever I see a weird, small bird, that's what I call it!

[Desertthorn]

I'm thinking Black-chinned Sparrow, but take that with a grain of salt as I'm really new at this. It just looks as if it has the beginnings of a black smudge on it's neck

[psweet]

I think Creeker's got it -- if you look at the tail, you can see that the outer feather is white, contrasting with the gray inner ones.

[creeker]

Desertthorn, psweet is right about the tail. We get both of these species here in the mountains, in the same habitat (more or less.) Black-chinneds really like the sloping hillsides with recovering burned brush, while the dark-eyeds are all over on the ground. I would expect a Black-chinned to have a grayer head and none of that buffiness on the undersides.The quick way to differentiate them is by the junco's white undertail. Plus, Black-chinneds have a way better song.

[BigOly]

Dark-eyed Junco youngster for me. Watching wing-trembling kids being fed by a parent at my feeder right now.